Besides the card the flowers and le chocolat
by Mdme Curie
Summary: A short story based on the Valentines snog in episode one, season three.


Hello my lovely bucks and other fans of all things Tango. In between packing up my belongings and finding a place to stay, the urge to write a short story won. It's a Valentines fluffy, all round C&K worship piece coz season 3 is already giving me enough gut clenching moments and we're only 2 episodes in. Sally you genius! Enjoy sweet pea's! LMK if it's any good. MC

Besides the card and the flowers and le chocolat

All is relatively calm in the Elliot McKenzie household on an early Friday evening. Besides a fridge door closing, two pairs of heavy schoolboy shoes scoffing down the hall and the muted voice of Fiona Bruce coming from the living room door, all seems to be in quiet repose. Well, almost...

"Let's go upstairs and wait for your dad to pick us up. Mom and Kate are in there." Rolling his eyes, Lawrence tips his head at the living room door in passing. Taking a large bite out of his freshly made, triple cheese and ham and lettuce and cucumber and tomato and pickle sandwich, he climbs the stairs.

Initially following his friend, Angus wandering eyes fall on something beyond the partially open door, bringing him to an abrupt halt.

"Come on you dozy lump." Lawrence mumbles around the food in his mouth. Noticing his friend isn't budging, he back tracks, pulling at Angus sleeve. The gaping boy didn't move and Lawrence's froze for a moment when his eyes raked over the scene that had his mate transfixed.

"Are they ever coming up for air, or do lesbians grow gills?" Whispering, Angus asked his pal, a cheeky grin and mayonnaise plastered on his young face.

Rewarded with a slap to the back of his head, Angus is quick to return the gesture and fend off another slap from a furiously blushing Lawrence.

"Mind who you're speaking about, you numpty. Now face right, march," Lawrence harshly huffs under his breath, pushing his friend up the stairs. "That's exactly why we are eating our snack upstairs and I'm staying at your place tonight. Mum's secretly been fussing about a ring all week and Kate jumps on mum, not that she minds, as soon as she gets home after school, it's sick making. They're celebrating Valentines day so it's only going to get worse."

Before they make it half way up the stairs, a car horn alerts them of the arrival of Angus father. Lawrence runs to get his overnight bag and rugby kit. Trying to rush his goodbyes, relieved to be out of the house, away from his mother's hysterics and Kate's teasing for a while, two pairs of strong hands catch him by the front door, pulling him in for a hug.

"You father is picking you two up from rugby tomorrow. Have fun boys. Lawrence, best behavior, OK. Love you." The Doctor plants another kiss on her youngest son's head before letting him go.

Angus thinks he'll join in, opening his arms, smiling at Kate only to be stared down, to be cut off at the knees and receive yet another slap to the back of his head.

Caroline doesn't watch the car drive off, as she has eyes only for the heavily pregnant woman leaning in the door post waving. The languages teacher spent the day decorating the living room with fairy lights and candles for the occasion, taking the blonde's breath away when she came home after an emotionally hectic week at school, longing for some uninterrupted time with her lover. Her heart pounding in the back of her throat, Caroline drew a deep breath. The Doctor settled her nerves like a pro, lifting Kate's hand to her lips. "Go cuddle up on the sofa, get the weight off your feet sweetheart, while I lock up. No one is going to be allowed in or out, from now till tomorrow afternoon."

Smiling, Kate leans into the offered kiss, placing her finger over her lover's reaching lips, preventing a second. "I'll race you."

The unmistakable smouldering molasses eyes that hit Caroline before Kate's husky words sink in, say all. The older woman's mind blanked out for a few minutes, giving Kate a head start, wobbling her way to the sofa.

Caroline thought back to her own pregnancies. The end of the last trimester was uncomfortable to say the least. Making love was the one thing farthest from her mind. Apparently, with Kate, being a sack of rampant hormones close to passing something the size of a bowling ball, affected her differently. The blonde snapped back, galloping up the stairs like a giddy puppy, explosively positive about the shape of things to come, however they unfolded. Collecting a little box from her bedside table, she opened the lid to take a peek one last time, pleased with her choice. "You can do this, Elliot. You can do this," Caroline spoke to herself, facing her reflection in the dresser mirror, summoning courage. On her way back to the living room, the Doctor locked the house, dimming the lights to an intimate glow. From the kitchen she fetched fresh nibbles to go with the organic, apple and ginger cider Gillian made for them. The mood was set for a relaxing evening and she couldn't wait to pamper and propose to the woman that had stolen her heart and set it free. The one, slightly tricky element was knowing when to pop the question exactly, so Caroline decided to play it by ear. Opening the door with her bum, carrying in the tray she was pleased to see Kate off her feet.

"What took you so long, Elliot?" Flicking through channels on the TV, Kate spoke lazily, like she'd been kept waiting for a long time. Her gaze slowly sliding from the screen to sparkling blue eyes, a lopsided grin appearing soon after.

"Baby friendly bubbly, curtsey of Gillian and nibbles that won't repeat on you half the night." Caroline put the tray down beside the heart shaped box of chocolates and snuggled behind the dark beauty, royally propped up with every cushion they had between them on the couch. It made hiding the little box that much easier.

"First that amazing foot and back massage, now more food. You are spoiling me again!" Kate feathered her fingers into Caroline's blonde locks, pulling her in for a slow, sensuous kiss. The almost subsonic moan that escaped the Doctor sent shivers down her spine. "Thank you. I've missed you, this." Ghosting her lips over Carolines, the raven beauty waited for the blonde to connect to her.

Leaning on one elbow, Caroline lifted herself up, eagerly claiming those magnetic lips, taking the duelling of tongues a little deeper. For some reason the voice of John Humphrey's asking questions reached her subconsciousness, making the gears of her analytical mind kick in. Before she knew it her mouth formulated an answer while she kissed her lover. And another question ripped her focus in two, four of phi winning. A bite of chocolate offered by a very patient Kate, reminded her of what she was doing. A very smart Kate turned off the television, reclaiming her attention.

"Oh guess what, Gillian's got a date." Caroline grinned as the chocolate melted between her teeth.

"Has she, Gillian?" Kate looked curiously at the blonde.

Wrinkling her nose, Caroline continued, "This bloke just..."

"What bloke?" Kate interrupted Caroline as she snuggled up closer for a good story. Stuck at home, hanging around, feeling akin to a leaking, aching, beached whale all day, made her hungry for news from the outside world.

"He came into the shop apparently and just... asked her out." Ending there Caroline searched Kate's face.

"Oh, that's romantic." Swooning for the idea, Kate had to smile. For once the gossip on her girlfriend's sister-in-law was nice.

"Is it?" Caroline questioned, pushing the chocolate from one side of her mouth to the other.

"Well, isn't it?!"

"Oh, it's very Gillian." Barely keeping a straight face, Caroline admitted.

"I can never work out whether you love Gillian to bits or you think she's a complete plonker." Kate edged the blonde on.

"Oh it's kinda... both."

Kate saw the grin and it said enough. Caroline loved Gillian and accepted that she came with her own brand of stubborn. In the languages teacher's mind, that was just the kind of friend the Doctor needed.

Shifting back a little, the tiny box moved behind Caroline's back, reminding her of its presence, just as fate threw the perfect opportunity before her feet. It was time to let her heart do the talking. Her hand wandered over Kate's bump, as if drawing strength from the unborn life that would soon make her entrance into their family. "I've got something else for you... besides the card and the flowers and le chocolat."

"What?" Kate enquired, the sparkle in her eyes giving away her curiosity.

Rubbing over baby bump with light fingers, Caroline drew another deep breath. "Okay... you know Christmas."

"Yeah," Kate acknowledged with a hushed voice, matching the soft timbre of her lover's words. Sensing something intimate was up, the younger woman's body responding like little bursts of electricity crawling under her skin. The sensation mesmerized her and calmed her aching body and recently calmed baby down at night too. But right now, the charge was different. Kate held the serious gaze of blue eyes, conveying how welcome her lover's thoughts were.

"I was so happy, when, you know... the baby due and everything, I was thinking..." Caroline reached behind herself and slowly brought the little golden box out, placing it open, on top of baby bump. "Should, shall. Why don't we get married, properly, married?"

Kate's eyes fixed on the delicate golden band with a large diamond in the middle, set in small diamonds and rubies, while her body battled between laughing and crying, preventing her from speaking. She breathed, cheering YES, on the inside, waiting for her breath to even a little. An then the first giggle burst out and tears flooded her eyes as she erupted in laughter.

Raising herself up, happily infected by a giggling Kate, she asked, "What is that? Hmm?"

All she could do was throw her hands in the air and nod, make eye contact and keep nodding. By God, did she want to marry this woman but she couldn't get a word out no matter how hard she tried.

Caroline, used to Kate's bouts of giggles and laughter, couldn't help joining in. Seeing the emotions battle it out, magnified by her girlfriends wonderful, gloriously pregnant state, Caroline fell in love with Kate more every time she managed to lighten her heart. She took her girlfriend's face between her hands lovingly. Sealing their commitment to each other with a slow, deep, wet kiss, Caroline meshed their bodies as close as possible.

Retrieving the ring, Caroline slid the golden band onto her lover's finger, admiring the perfect fit, pleased with the happy laughter erupting from Kate all over again as they admired the symbol of their engagement together.

Kissing with her eyes open and focused on Caroline's darkening gems helped regulate her breathing, helped calm her nerves. Being pregnant certainly made her experience many things strongly amplified, leaving her feeling unprepared and vunrable these days. Kate eventually re found her voice. Saying yes between every kiss, feeling Caroline smile on her lips before the blonde repeated every 'yes' after her and let her hands find their way under her blue sweatshirt.

"You were right little one, your mummy said yes." Kissing baby bump once more before returning her attention to her mother's needs, Caroline caressed the darker line from a protruding belly button to the trimmed patch of curls between Kate's legs.

Feeling de Doctor's warm lips join in with gentle hands on her swollen belly, Kate's body added a third response to the heady cocktail of tears and laughter as the blonde moved lower. "I am so in love with you, Caroline, it scares me sometimes." She spoke on a shaky breath as a hand cupped her full breast. "Please don't stop. I need you, I want you," she panted hard. Removing a few pillow's from the sofa with her legs, Kate lifted her arms as the Doctor carefully removed the sweater.

"I love you, Kate. With all my heart and I'll love you with my body forever too." Caroline whispered in Kate's ear and slid her lover's sweatpants down her legs, drawing goose bumps as she descended.

Massaging taut calves and thighs, Caroline took her time to touch every muscle and tendon, to kneed every knot and strain from her lover's blossoming body, till she was left a quivering mess, leaning back against her heavily. Only then did she softly plant a row of kisses along the bronzed skin of Kate's slender neck, making the goose bumps return. "What do you need from me, darling." Cupping her lover's full breasts produced a low, husky moan. Caroline yelped when Kate suddenly grabbed both of her hands and squeezed.

"Mouth, slow." Was all Kate could manage as this time, her libido held her mind hostage.

Caroline maneuvered herself from behind Kate, propping her lover's back against a heap of pillows and knelt next to the sofa. With one hand she held back her lover's braids and kissed her passionately.

Kate draped a leg over the edge of the sofa, opening herself, puffy and glistening and ready. Her hips gyrating and twitching, her arms tugging her fiance down. "Please, Doctor Elliot." Using her lover's title as an endearment like that made the blonde chuckle and kiss her ardently.

Hearing her lover pleading again from that place of raw, naked need Caroline knew so well now, thanks to this delicious woman writhing close to begging for her touch, made her eyes swell with tears. "Shh, lie back, sweetheart. I'll take care of you." Kneeling on the sofa between her lover's legs, the powerful scent of Kate's arousal hit her senses hard. The sound of her name being chanted over and over together with the soft, salty flesh pulsating and swelling under her tongue made her head spin. She ate slowly, thoroughly, skillfully and took her sweet time about it. By no means was the Doctor in any hurry to push Kate over the edge.

Unable to keep her eyes open and focussed on Caroline, Kate let go of the blonde's head and sank back against the pillow's in unrefined rapture. Thrashing her head in sheer pleasure she surrendered. Caroline's voice had a way of touching her heart in a place only she could reach. Wrapping her in a sense of security and safety only found within Caroline's embrace. Covering her face with an arm, the dark beauty felt the first sob rise in her chest. The tentacle's of orgasm were greedy, spreading through her veins, making every cell of her extremely aroused body tremble and burn harder than ever before. Caroline didn't stop, swirling her tongue relentlessly along the entire length of her sex, swiping up the creamy flow erupting from Kate's swollen lips. A last incoherent cry escaped her lips as she shuddered through her release.

Caroline climbed up next to Kate, holding the exhausted and silently weeping woman in her arms tightly as the emotional release took hold of her fiance. Like a contented cat, the Doctor curled up behind Kate and spooned the younger woman, wrapping them both up in the warm blanket hanging on the backrest of the sofa. Within minutes Kate was asleep, making the cutest little snoring noises she refused to believe ever came from her.


End file.
